There were reports yesterday that 49 year-old David Ginola had suffered a heart attack while playing in some really hot weather, but then a tweet from the former Newcastle winger seemed to suggest it wasn’t too much to worry about – and that he only fainted and he was OK.
But there are disturbing reports this morning coming out of France from eye witnesses present when it happened, and they are saying the situation is a serious one with David having been in a coma and having undergone a three hour emergency operation overnight in France.
David Ginola – suffered a heart attack – in a coma
Speaking on French TV show L’Équipe du Soir, journalist Jean Philippe Lustyk, who was by Ginola’s side when the incident happened, has said the situation is very serious:
“The emergency services arrived at the scene within 15 minutes of the incident. And today we cannot know what is going to happen.”
“He is in a stationary state. He is in a coma. There was a cardiac arrest, he had a heart attack on the pitch. He fell in front of us.”
“And if he has been saved, I am using the conditional tense because the situation right now is still very dramatic.”
“Contrary to what was announced on social media, notably by his agent. At no moment was David Ginola in a good state.”
“There was a message on Twitter : ‘I am fine, don’t worry.’ This is absolutely not the case. Sadly, no. He remains in a stationary state. And so nobody can know anything.”
“The emergency services have indicated that the initial response came from Olivier Girault and Matt Pokora who were on the pitch with him.”
“They ran towards him, first of all to prevent him from swallowing his own tongue and second of all they administered the first cardiac massages when Ginola’s pulse was not there.”
“So during those crucial 15 minutes before the emergency services arrived, they prevented him from being dead. At the moment we absolutely cannot know David’s state.”
French newspaper Nice-Matin had reported that indeed the former football star had suffered a heart attack while playing football in Mandelieu, while at a celebrity golf tournament.
He was said to have been taken to the hospital at around 4.40 pm local time.
The situation was confused as noted above in the statement when there was a later tweet that appeared on David’s Twitter account.
Footy match in the midday sun, not very clever. Now having some tests done. Whoever voted for a World Cup in Qatar in the summer?
— David Ginola (@teamginola) May 19, 2016
When there is a heart attack it’s important that the person receive oxygen quickly so the brain in not deprived of oxygen for too long.
That’s unfortunately what happened to our former goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek in late December and Pavel later died from his cardiac arrest, which he suffered while out running alone.
We are hoping that David will be OK and it does look like he received attention quickly following his cardiac arrest.
Our hopes and prayers are with the former Newcastle United winger and those close to him
43 comments so far
Tsunki
May 20, 2016 at 10:42 AM
Comment #1Odd.
jimmysmith
May 20, 2016 at 10:45 AM
Comment #2Astonishing footballer..
Ron Knee
May 20, 2016 at 10:47 AM
Comment #3Induced coma, apparently.
Average_Contents
May 20, 2016 at 10:48 AM
Comment #4Hope he’s ok.
Excellent player for us. Just wish he’d stayed longer.
Mister Tuff
May 20, 2016 at 10:52 AM
Comment #5From previous thread – coward is a strong term to use without some sort of insider knowledge about what ol Collo has been up to. Do we know for certain his injuries are fake/exaggerated etc for certain – in most cases we do not.
However the old bad back saga and jumping up and down on the terraces of San Lorenzo suggests at that time he was faking an injury or falsely prolonging it.
I think a lack of commitment to the club is/was evident – whether it extends to him being a coward is another matter.
He is no leader of men, and the fact that he perms his hair to be a Puyol lookalike is a highly dubious trait.
A man perming his hair – what’s all that about.
Colo………………………………………..OOT
jimmysmith
May 20, 2016 at 10:53 AM
Comment #6Better.
magscar
May 20, 2016 at 10:54 AM
Comment #7magscar // May 20, 2016 at 10:53 AM
Tuff Last thread or so
OK perhaps too definite a term but used “guarantee” simply meaning that apart from an injury which any player could fall foul of, would a full medical assessment of his previous injuries and current condition suggest that they will re-occur at some stage of a season or with guidance could they be managed. He seems to suffer from repetitive injuries – weakened muscles? rushing back? wrong training? etc but I am no sports injury expert
Obviously if no “guarantee” or whatever term you feel is applicable to this scenario then should let him go – a Ledley King he is not.
WWSBRD
May 20, 2016 at 10:55 AM
Comment #8jimmy
Am curious of what ur definition of a coward is mate?
clinath@ed
May 20, 2016 at 10:56 AM
Comment #9Always thought he was the most gifted footballer i ever saw in the flesh. Two footed and great balance.
Shame he was such a lazy B….lol.
Get well soon sir.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
May 20, 2016 at 10:58 AM
Comment #10Hope he pulls through. He is quite eccentric, is wor Ginola, part of me can’t help thinking he did this as a dig at the qatar wc (see the tweet) but it went a bit wrong.
jimmysmith
May 20, 2016 at 11:00 AM
Comment #11Someone without the NERVE to do the right thing, when the moment comes. But what makes you so confident Collocini is one, that you are happy to call him one on a public forum.
martoon
May 20, 2016 at 11:04 AM
Comment #12Mister Tuff @5 – I’m no Colo fan but I can tell you that his back problem was real because a relative of mine works where he had his scan and said he was in agony and could hardly get on to the scanner. You could well be right that he prolonged it but it certainly was bad at first.
Mister Tuff
May 20, 2016 at 11:04 AM
Comment #13magscar – quite a few on here predicted Taylor would be crocked last season/spend more days sick than playing. And were ultimately proved right.
With a person of such a injury history- it was argued that we should get a replacement -as his presence could not be relied upon. The club again gambled the wrong way (and the cheaper way) and did not get a suitable cover in. It could be argued that decisions like this , with others, cumulatively led to our demise.
WWSBRD
May 20, 2016 at 11:05 AM
Comment #14jimmy
Honestly everything hes done since he decided he wanted to go back to Argentina
Jail for Ashley
May 20, 2016 at 11:06 AM
Comment #15jimmy,
He blatantly got himself sent off last season against Everton so he wouldn’t have to play in the derby. That to me is disgusting leadership and VERY cowardly.
Rotonda heights
May 20, 2016 at 11:08 AM
Comment #16no real need for the sensationalist headline in that case. oh yeah…click bait silly me.
Mister Tuff
May 20, 2016 at 11:09 AM
Comment #17martoon – yes I think the photos of him jumping up and down and waving his arms around in the air did suggest he was fully recovered.
Also at the time he wanted away and wanted the club to release him to his home town club.
magscar
May 20, 2016 at 11:09 AM
Comment #18Ginola- superb player on his day which early on here were many but not so much latterly – his goal against Ferencvaros ( i think) was brilliant.
Moved at the right time for me but had some good times at Spurs but not at Villa where he suffered under John Gregory I think. Most fans of the times have better opinions of Sir Les than him although both moved around same time (?) to Spurs.
Nevertheless that is all by the by and I wish him a full and speedy recovery
Laurent Robert 32
May 20, 2016 at 11:10 AM
Comment #19He was also a smoker I believe? That probably won’t be helping things.
Brilliant talent he was was. One of my favourites ever. As much skill as most, but he was very strong as well. 6ft 3″ and powerful in his own elegant way.
Rotonda heights
May 20, 2016 at 11:10 AM
Comment #20apologies ed, i should always read the whole thing
magscar
May 20, 2016 at 11:12 AM
Comment #21Tuff
Can’t disgree with that and will trust Rafa to make the right call all things having been considered – not desperate for him to stay myself
Mister Tuff
May 20, 2016 at 11:19 AM
Comment #22magscar – I was going to qualify my post by mentioning Lascelles.
Do not know who he was supposed to replace but in the clubs’ view he was not ready for the PL. As it turned out – after a slightly shakey debut he has settled in well and probably should have been started earlier.
Again questions about his assessment by the hierarchy – then – suggest another wrong judgement.
welshgeordie9
May 20, 2016 at 11:19 AM
Comment #23Colo should have been a clown rather than a footballer, Christ he’s got the hairstyle for it, to slow and clumsy on the pitch, he’s that slow my nan would have been quicker with her Zimmer frame.
COLO OUT
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
May 20, 2016 at 11:20 AM
Comment #24I don’t think either side are going to change thier position on ‘cowardgate’. What say we agree to differ, and draw a line under it? Colo is very likely on his way back to Argentina this summer, so we can thank him for his early years with us, and not waste our time wondering what happened in later years, and move on.
stan anderson
May 20, 2016 at 11:25 AM
Comment #25Best wishes David Ginola,one of the entertainers.
Rafa situ.is going on to long.
Is it all a smokescreen to keep the natives in good mood.
Then they balls it up on purpose to end our dreams of a successful future with a real football man in charge.
Hope i am wrong,but we cant trust ASHLEY one bit.
jimmysmith
May 20, 2016 at 11:28 AM
Comment #26“He blatantly got himself sent off last season against Everton so he wouldn’t have to play in the derby.”
You somehow know this for a fact, or did you use “logic”, to come to this seemingly dubious conclusion.
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
May 20, 2016 at 11:31 AM
Comment #27Oh well. I guess not. Well, I am officially done with it, anyway.
jimmysmith
May 20, 2016 at 11:31 AM
Comment #28Slow, ok. Clumsy, good grief!
anthc
May 20, 2016 at 11:35 AM
Comment #29Ginola was the best player I’ve ever watched in a toon top. He could torment anyone, bags of skill strong and deceptively fast with both feet as good as the other. He’s a good looking bast*rd too as I always remember one game on tv when he posed and winked at the camera during a stoppage, class.
My favourite player and privileged I got to watch him so really hope he makes a full recovery. Ginola, ginola!
Ian Toon
May 20, 2016 at 11:38 AM
Comment #30martoon- You’re quite right. Coloccini would have had an MRI scan in the last few seasons. The Radiology Report and findings/ conclusion would have been signed off by the Consultant Radiologist and sent to the referring clinician which in this instance would have been the club doctor/ medical staff at NUFC.
NUFC are well aware of his medical condition.
anthc
May 20, 2016 at 11:40 AM
Comment #31As for colo, I think he’s been fit for ages just not been played due to his attitude and application.
Lascelles and mbemba over him any day for me let him go for nowt along with taylor and get them off the wage bill so we can keep some others who want to stay or rafa some pennies to spend should he stay.
jimmysmith
May 20, 2016 at 11:47 AM
Comment #32” I think he’s been fit for ages just not been played due to his attitude and application.”
Evidence please.
Mister Tuff
May 20, 2016 at 11:48 AM
Comment #33Ian Toon — hahaha – not surprised a post on medical matters resulted in you “breaking cover”.
The argument is not whether Colo had a scan or not but were there some later shenanigans – as evidenced by the dance routine on the terraces of San Lorenzo.
Will you comment on that?
Mister Tuff
May 20, 2016 at 11:50 AM
Comment #34– but please – no reference to Wafas Bwave New World.
Ian Toon
May 20, 2016 at 12:01 PM
Comment #35Mr Tuff- No. I have no knowledge of Coloccini’s condition or related activities. However as a man of your mature years will know arthropathy/ arthritis can occur also in the relatively young and cause discomfort. A warmer climate can mitigate/ reduce the pain and any joint swelling. It could simply be that his condition improved whilst away from a NE winter and in warmer climes.
Jail for Ashley
May 20, 2016 at 12:07 PM
Comment #36Jimmy,
Tbere are heat of the moment sendings off, fits of anger sendings off, stupid and nasty (Mitrovich) sendings off and then there are deliberate and unnecessary sendings off. Look at the Youtube footage of it and you tell me whether or not that was a deliberate straight red. The player was going nowhere, the play was slow and he had all the time in the world to think about what he was going to do.
jimmysmith
May 20, 2016 at 12:12 PM
Comment #37Jumping up and down on a terrace, supporting your childhood football team with your mates, doesn’t mean you’re fit to play football, much less EPL football. Collocini may well be a shirker, even a coward, but really it’s more than a bit of a long bow, particularly when the club has rated him highly enough to offer a contract extension and make him captain, among his other many achievements. I know it’s just a blog, and essentially harmless fun, but a little more circumspection wouldn’t go amiss at times,
jimmysmith
May 20, 2016 at 12:15 PM
Comment #38Yeah, I was angry with him at the time. But deliberately done to miss the derby?
Slank
May 20, 2016 at 12:21 PM
Comment #39Ginola misses the point about the heat and humidity in Qatar. The players will be fine as they will be taken from air conditioned place to another air conditioned place and play in an air conditioned stadium.
The real issue is with the fans. As is traditional in World Cups they will want to go out an celebrate and drink. Unless the Qatar government has a complete reversal there will be very few places to buy alcohol and drink other than five star hotels which are not known to be overjoyed at welcoming hordes of inebriated and very often boisterous and fractious football fans into their luxurious surroundings.
Dehydration is likely to cause considerable problems for fans and deaths would not be out of the question.
I very much doubt the local police have the necessary experience on how to handle mass confrontations between rival fans.
The players will be fine but not the fans but FIFA doesn’t care as long as they have large corporation sponsorship. Any trouble the fans will be blamed and not FIFA or Qatar.
manxpie
May 20, 2016 at 12:24 PM
Comment #40Anyone thought that they’ve all just gone on holiday? And the rest is just press bollicks
I mean has there been a sighting of rafa since the weekend?
2 weeks was when we were told there would be an answer and I feel that that’s when we will
the press won’t know shit